Cover stack height controlling means



Sept. 9, 1952 N. H. GOLDSWORTHY 2,509,779

COVER STACK HEIGHT CONTROLLING MEANS Filed March 18, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEETl INVENTOi 7 NORMAN hz'aowswmrHr Sept. 9, 1952 -.'N. GOLDSWORTHY2,609,779

COVER STACK HEIGHT CONTROLLING MEANS Filed March 18, 1946 2SHEETS--SHEET 2 mmvron.

NORMAN H. GULDSWORTHY Patented Sept. 9, 1952 Norman H. Goldsworthy, NewYork, N. Y., as-

signor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application March 18, 1946, Serial No. 655,346

2 Claims.

The inventionrela'tes generally to apparatus for automaticallycontrolling the height of stacks of metal objects such as the covers orend closures fed onto containers to be closed in a closing machine or tomachine structures in which other types of work may be performed on saidcovers, and it primarily seeks to provide a control means effective tostart operation of a cover feeding means each time the height of thecover stack falls to a predetermined point so as to replenish thestacked supply, and for maintaining said operation until the stackheight has been built up to a predetermined point and then discontinuingthe cover feeding.

An object of the invention is to provide a stack feed control of thecharacter stated in which the control means includes a novel circuitcontrolling switchstructure having stack mass attracted magnets whichare vertically spaced adjacent the cover stack so that one thereof isplaced approximately at the low stack level at which the control devicesare effective to initiate replenishment of the stack, and the other onethereof is placed at the higher stack level at which the replenishmentof the control devices are effective to discontinue said replenishment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a controlling switch ofthe character stated in which the magnets are mounted on spring leafsupporting members secured on a support within a casing of non-magneticmaterial, a third leaf member also being provided and equipped withcontacts at its respective ends in position for being normally engagedby contacts carried by the respective spring leafs and disengaged bysaid last named contacts whenever said magnets are attracted'by'thestack of covers. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a stack feed controllingmeans including a switch of the characterstated and circuits controlledby said switch in a manner for initiating operation of the stackreplenishing cover feeding means each time the stack falls below thelevel of the lower magnet and then maintaining said feed until the stackis replenished to a height for attracting and breaking contact at theposition of the upper magnet, without interruption incidental to theattracting of the lower magnet and the breaking of contact by said lowermagnet attraction as the stack height moves past the lower magnet duringsaid replenishment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stack controlling meansincluding devices for alternately starting the feeding means each timethe stack reaches a predetermined low level and stopping said feedingmeans each time the stack is replenished to a predetermined higherlevel, and also devices for discontinuing operation of the machine whichis to perform work upon the covers whenever the stack height falls to anemergency level at which continued operation of said machine, ifpermitted, would soon result in operation of the machine without thefeeding of covers thereinto.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claims, and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing one adaptation of theinvention for controlling the feeding of covers or end closures to acontainer closing machine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the magnetic switch and thecontrol connections for electrically controlling the cover feed drivingmotor.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the upperendportion of the cover feedmg means.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating the lower end of thecover feeding means.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, thenovel control structure takes the form of a cover feed controlassociated with a machine for closing the containers by affixing saidcovers thereon. It is to be understood, however, that the invention isadaptable to use in controlling stack heights other than in the case ofthe cover stacks, and also for controlling the feeding of covers tomachines in which other types of work are to be performed thereon, suchas curling or the applyingof coatings or sealing compound.

In the example disclosure herein made, the closing machine is generallydesignated 5, and the containers 6 are fed into the machine over a,feed-way I. As each container passes under the cover depositing means 8,it has a cover C deposited thereon from the cover stack generallydesignated 9. The cover depositing means and the closure machinestructure are conventional, and the structure and functioning of suchapparatus is well known in the art. An example of such closing machinesis illustrated in U. S. Letters Patent 1,752,912 issued to A. L.Kronquest on April 1, 1930. It is a purpose of the present invention toprovide control devices effective to maintain a proper working level ofcovers in the stack 9. The controls operate to initiate the feeding ofthe covers into the stack 8 when the supply therein falls to apredetermined low level, and to continue the replenishment of the stackuntil a predetermined higher level of covers is attained in said stack.include means for automatically discontinuing the operation of theclosing machine whenever the supply of covers in the stack '9 falls to apredetermined emergency level at which continued operation of saidmachine, if permitted, will soon result in operation of the machinewithout the feeding of covers therein-to.

The covers C are delivered into the stack 9 through the lower ordischarge end Iii of a feeding means generally designated ll, saidcovers being received in said feeding means from a hand fed stack l2preferably located above the second floor level E3, or in other words ona iloor above the floor on which the closing machine is located.

It is to 'beunderstood that any acceptable form of cover feeding meansmay be employed in the feeding of covers to the stack 9, but in thepresent disclosure said feeding means includes a plurality of uprightlydisposed screws l4, each having a pinion [5 at its upper end. The screwsare so grouped that the peripheral edges of the covers will be engagedin and moved downwardly by the grooves in the rotating screws M in themanner clearly illustrated in Figure 3. Thescrew gears i5 arecollectively driven through idler gear couples Hi from the ring gear llwhich is rotatably mounted as at l8 on the table structure l9 whereonthe stack guides of the hand fed cover stack generally designated ['2are mounted. It will also be apparent by reference to Figures 1 and'3 ofthe drawings that the ring gear I! is driven by a pinion 23 which is inturn driven through the bevel gear-couple 22 and transmissionconnections 23 from thecover feed motor CFM. As the covers C gravitateinto the screws I 4 through the upper contact guides 20 they passthrough a guide sleeve 24 in the table structure I9.

At their lower ends, the cover feed screws 14 have step bearings as at'25 on the bottom plate 26 at the discharge end is of the cover feedmeans. See Figures 1 and 4. As they leave the lower ends of the screws[4, the covers C gravitate through the guide sleeve 21 into the guides28 of the cover stack generally designated 9.

Near the bottom of the stack 9, there is mounted a feeler 29. The feeleris so placed as to engage the periphery of the covers C adjacent thebottom of the stack, and spring means 5'9 may be employed for lightlyurging the feeler against said covers. The pivotally mounted feeler 29includes a contact making and breaking extension 31 the pivotalconnection constituting one said contact, and the other of said contactsbeing spaced from the pivotal mounting in the manner illustrated inFigure 1. The feeler 29 forms a part of the control devices effective todiscontinue operation of the closing machine whenever the covers C fallto an emergency level at which only a few covers remain to be fed intothe machine, thereby to avoid continuing the operation of the machineafter the covers are exhausted.

The power in-put lines are indicated at 32, 33, 34, and said lines maybe connected with the conductor lines 35, 36 and 31 by a manuallyoperated control switch 38. A three-pole contact making and breakingswitch 39 is provided and is normally held in a closed position by theenergizing of a coil 40. The coil 40 is connected by The control devicesalso.

the conductors 4| and 42 with the contacts controlled by the feelercarried circuit maker and breaker 3| and with conductor lines 36 and 3 1through the step down transformer 43, thereby to provide a low voltagecurrent at the position of the stack 9. It will be apparent by referenceto Figure 1 that whenever the switch 33' is closed and there are enoughcovers C in the stack to force the feeler 29 outwardly and complete acircuit across the contacts engaged by the circuit maker 3!, the coil 40will be energized and the three-pole switch 39 will be held in theclosed position, thereby directing current through the conductor lines4d, '45 and 46 to the motor CMM which drives the .closing machine 5. lhemotor CMM is directly connected with the conductor lines 64, and 45 asat 4T.

The conductor lines 44, 45 and id, with which the closing machine motorCMM is connected, are connected by conductor lines it, 59 and with thecover feed means driving motor CFM through a starting and stoppingswitch unit generally designated 51. The switch 5! operates under thecontrol of a magnetic switch generally designated "52 and which isdisposed close beside the cover stack generally designated 9. Thecontrol switch '52 is electrically connected with the starting andstopping switch 51 and with the power, lines through a step downtransformer generally designated 53 so as to provide low'volt agecurrent at the position of the cover stack 9 as a precaution for theoperator or others likely to have contact with the cover stack and thecontrol mechanismyas well as' provide longer life in the contact pointsof the switch 52 to be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Within the starting and stopping switch unit 5|, there is included ,afour-pole circuit making and breaking switch generally designated 54. itwill be apparent by reference to Figure 2 that the three bridge pieces55 of the switch 5i serve to make or break connection across theconductor line 34, 48, the conductor line 45, 49 and the conductor line45, 5B. Whenever the coil 56 of the switch unit '5! is energized, theswitch 5% will be closed to make connection through the power conductorlines referred to, and whenever the coil 56 is de-energized the switch54 will be moved to the circuit breaking position shown in Figure 2.

The coil 56 is connected through lines 51 with the power-line 45 throughthe transformer 53, and through the line 58 with the contact leaf E3 ofthe switch '52, said leaf having two free ends, one equipped with acontact 60 and the other i with a contact 6i, and being supportedintermediately of its ends as at 62 within a casing tube 63 of glass or"some more rugged non-magnetic material. A second, readily bendablecontact leaf &4 is supported at its lower end on the support member '62and is provided at its upper end with a contact disposed in position forcooperating with and normally contacting the previously mentionedcontact fill; The free end of the contact leaf 64 also carriesapermanent magnet 65 disposed within the casing '33 and close to theperiphery of the covers C in the stack 9 so as to be attractable by thecover mass when presented at the level thereof. A third contact leaf 61,also readily bendable, is supported at its free end on the supportmember 62 and has its downwardly extended free end provided with acontact 63 disposed in position for cooperating with and normallycontacting the previously mentioned contact 6|. The lower end of thecontact leaf 6! also carries a permanent magnet 59 which is pothe magnetmember 66 at a materially greater height than the magnet 69. The contactleaf 61 is connected by a conductor line with the contact H within theswitch unit 5|, said line 10 being in turn connected by a line 12 withthe power conductor line 46 through the transformer 53." The companioncontact 13 within the switch unit 5| is connected by a conductor line 14with the contact leaf 64, and it will be apparent by reference to Figure2 that the bridge piece I5 of the switch 54 is effective to make orbreak the control circuit across the contacts H and 13.

Operation By reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will beapparent that whenever the switch 38 is closed, and there is asufiicient number of covers C in the stack 9 to displace the feeler 29in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 to make contact across theconductor lines 41 and 42, the coil 40 will be energized and the switch39 will be positioned for completing a circuit through the lines 32, 35,44-33, 36, 45-34, 31, 46 and bring about a driving of the closingmachine 5 by the motor CMM. Obviously, if the motor CMM does not startwhen the switch 38 is closed, this normally will be due to the fact thatthe covers C have fallen below the emergency level, and this being thecase the desired starting of the closing machine 5 can be effected byinserting a sufficient number of covers in the stack to displace thefeeler 29.

The level of covers in the stack 9 being well below the position of themagnet 69 of the control switch unit 52, said switch unit will beconditioned as illustrated in Figure 2 with the contacts 6|], '65 and6!, 68 in circuit making engagement. With the parts in this position,the circuit completed through conductor lines 58, 51 and 12, 16 willenergize the coil 56 and position the switch 54 for completing thecircuit through the power conductor lines 44, 48-45, 49-46, 50 and bringabout operation of the motor CFM of the cover feeding means ll, therebyto feed covers C into the stack 9.

As the covers rise to the level indicated at Y in Figure 2, so as topresent a mass of metal opposite the magnet 69, said magnet will beattracted to the right to bring about a separation of the contacts 61and 68. However, this will not de-energize the coil 56 and result in anopening of the switch 54 because of the holding circuit established bythe lines 51, with the power line 45 through the transformer 53, thecoil 56, the line 58, the contact leaf 59, the contacts 60 and 65, thecontact leaf 64, the conductor line 14, the contacts 73 and H, throughthe bridge piece I5, and the lines 10, 12 through transformer 53 withthe power line 46.

The feeding of the covers to the stack 9 will continue until the stackheight reaches the level Z at which the cover mass presented oppositethe magnet 66 will attract said magnet and break the whole circuitacross the contacts 60 and 65. The circuits being at this time alsobroken across the lower set of contacts 6| and 68, the

coil 56 will be de-energized and the switch 54 will move to the circuitbreaking. position illustrated in Figure 2, thereby discontinuingoperation of the motorCFMwhich drives the cover feeding device. Themotor CFM will remain idle until the height of the cover stack fallsapproximately to the level X at which time the lower magnet 69 will nolonger be attracted by the stack mass and will return to the normalposition illustrated in full lines in Figure 2 to close the circuitacross the contacts, BI and 68 and reenergize the coil 56. It will beobvious that the re-energizing of the coil 56 will again initiateoperation of the cover feed device driving motor CFM in the mannerpreviously described.

It is to be understood that when the uppermost cover in the stack isabovethe level Y but below the level of the magnet 66 and covers arefalling onto the stack, they will pass by the magnet 66 so rapidly andwith insufficient mass so that the magnet 66. will not be attracted bythese falling covers and therefore contacts 60 and will remain in enagement and the circuit to the cover feeding device driving motor CFMwill not be broken. It will be apparent from the foregoing thatthe motorCMM which drives the closing machine, or in other words the machine inwhich work is performed on the covers, drives said machine continuouslyunder normal working conditions. It will also be apparent that the motorCFM drives the cover feeding means feeds covers at a rate in excess ofthe rate at which the closing of cans, or in other words the work on thecovers is performed, and therefore said cover feeding means operatesintermittently under the previously described controls to assure that aproper supply of covers will be fed to the ma chine under usual workingconditions, and also that the machine motor will be cut off in case ofan emergent condition when the cover supply falls to a predeterminedemergency level.

It is to be understood that forms of cover feeding means other than thatdisclosed herein may be employed, and also that the control devicesdisclosed herein may be employed in controlling the heights of stacks ofmetal objects other than container covers. A cover feeding means of thetype herein disclosed but not specifically claimed, and including motordriven screws extending downwardly from a hand fed stack on an upperfloor is illustrated in detail in U. S. Letters Patent 2,479,955 issuedAugust 23, 1949, on an application filed by William H. Morgan onFebruary 23, 1945, and identified by Serial No. 579,389.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes ofillustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

l. The combination with a machine in which work is to be performed oncovers and the electric motor by which said machine is continuouslyoperated under normal operating conditions, of means for feeding coversto the machine and including a cover stack supporting means and electricmotor driven means for feeding covers to said stack intermittently at arate in excess of the rate at which work is performed on the covers insaid machine, coverfeed motor control means effective each time thecover stack height falls to a predetermined low level to initiate coverfeed motor Operation and the feeding of covers to the stack to replenishthe same and for continuing the cover feed motor operation until thecover stack has been replenished to a predetermined materially higherlevel and stopping said cover feed motor, and means for automaticallystopping both motors whenever thecover stack height falls to apredetermined emergency level below the before mentioned low level.

2. The combination with a'machine in which Work is to be performed oncovers and the electric motor by which said machine is continuouslyoperated under normal operating conditions, of means for feeding coversto the machine and including a cover stack supporting means and electricmotor driven means for feeding covers to said stack intermittently at arate in excess of the rate at which work is performed on the covers insaid machine, cover feed motor control means efiective each time thecover stack height falls to a predetermined low level to initiate coverfeed motor operation and the feeding of covers to the stack to replenishthe same and for continuing the cover feed motor operation until thecover stack has been replenished to a predetermined materially higherlevel and stopping said cover feed motor, and means for automatically 8stopping both motors whenever the cover stack height falls to apredetermined emergency level below the before mentioned low level, saidlast named means being effective to automatically restart both motorswhen the cover stack is replenished to a height above said emergencylevel.

NORMAN'H. GOLDSWORTHY.

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